Chapter 2612: The Pursuit of the Criminal (None Today)

On Qinglian Island, within the Preaching Hall.

A ruddy-faced old man in a green robe was teaching over a thousand clan members. After their spiritual roots were detected, clan members would come to the Preaching Hall to learn basic cultivation knowledge; this served as their initiation. Besides basic cultivation knowledge, clan members also had to study clan history, which dated back to their descent from the Dongli Realm.

"Ancestor Qingqi dedicated everything to the family and trained many excellent alchemists. He is our role model. You must learn diligently from Ancestor Qingqi, do you understand?" The clan elder's expression grew serious as he spoke gravely.

All the clan members responded in unison.

The clan elder nodded and looked towards a handsome boy in a golden robe, asking, "Chuanming, what are your thoughts after today's lesson?"

"We should learn from Ancestor Qingqi. However, times are different now, and your grandson believes that one's own cultivation is paramount. If Ancestor Qingqi had reached the Nascent Soul stage, he would have had more time and resources to research new elixir formulas. Of course, given the context of that era, it was also very difficult for Ancestor Qingqi to advance to the Nascent Soul stage. We should learn from Ancestor Qingqi's spirit, cultivate diligently, and contribute our own strength to the family." The boy in the golden robe spoke earnestly.

The clan elder nodded with satisfaction, then his gaze drifted to a corner, and he said in a deep voice, "Chuanlin, what are you looking at?"

A slender boy in a green robe stood up and replied, "Uncle, your grandson is reading the ancestor's biography."

"How many times have I told you? During class, you are not allowed to read other books, not even the ancestor's biography. Go stand outside!" the clan elder commanded.

Wang Chuanlin acknowledged and obediently walked outside.

"Everyone, learn from Chuanming, not from Chuanlin," the clan elder instructed, then continued the lesson.

Wang Chuanlin looked left and right, then took out a thick book from his robe. On its cover, in large characters, was written "Biography of Ancestor Qingling." He began to read it. The book recounted the story of Wang Qingling and mentioned Wang Qingxiao. Its content only covered events up to Wang Qingling's peaceful passing.

A short while later, the clan elder walked over, snatched the book, and reprimanded, "Chuanlin, I'm punishing you to go back and copy the ancestral precepts a hundred times. You weren't paying attention in class, and you weren't even standing properly during your punishment."

"But I've already read Ancestor Qingqi's biography; there's nothing new to hear," Wang Chuanlin mumbled in his defense.

"So what if you've read it? Does that mean you can get distracted and read other books? You can read it later. When I'm lecturing, listen carefully. I'm punishing you to copy the ancestral precepts five hundred times," the clan elder admonished.

Wang Chuanlin agreed, not daring to speak again.

Over an hour later, class ended. The clan elder left first, followed by the other clan members, but Wang Chuanlin and Wang Chuanming remained.

"Chuanlin, honestly, is it so hard to say a few nice words? You just have to defy the clan elder; it's truly foolish," Wang Chuanming scoffed.

"Hmph, I'm not like you, two-faced," Wang Chuanlin retorted.

"This is called adaptability. Unlike you, like an idiot who only knows how to defy the clan elder. With an attitude like yours, what success can you possibly achieve?" Wang Chuanming sneered. The two were cousins. Their grandfather, a Core Formation cultivator, had died at the hands of a powerful enemy. His sons had quarreled fiercely over the inheritance, deteriorating their relationship and consequently souring the relations between their descendants.

"We'll see who succeeds in the future," Wang Chuanlin put away the book and strode away.

***

In the Sky Spider Mountain Range, deep within the peaks, a thick miasma permeated the air, lingering persistently.

A streak of blood-red light and a streak of golden light swept across the sky, one after the other, leaving two faint trails in the void. A series of "whoosh" sounds echoed as dense green lights shot forth, heading straight for the blood-red light. The blood-red light stopped, revealing a gigantic blood-red butterfly. With a human head and butterfly body, it had clearly employed a Spirit Attachment Art. The blood-red butterfly's wings sprayed out a cloud of blood-red toxic mist, which dispersed the incoming green lights and headed straight for the golden light.

The golden light stopped, revealing Wang Liangyan. Lord Blood Butterfly had attacked and killed Wang family disciples, leading the Wang family to offer a reward of fifty million spirit stones and organize a large search party for his apprehension. After his traces were found in this area, Wang family experts immediately rushed over.

Wang Liangyan took out a glittering golden folding fan. With a gentle wave, a wave of golden flame swept out, transforming into a golden fire phoenix hundreds of yards in size. The phoenix spread its wings and swooped towards the opponent. When the blood-red toxic mist approached within thirty yards of the golden fire phoenix, it immediately dispersed and vanished. The blood-red butterfly felt the astonishing high temperature emanating from the golden fire phoenix. Just as it was about to evade, a woman's powerful roar, the Spirit-Quelling Roar, rang out. The blood-red butterfly's body trembled as it was struck by the golden fire phoenix, and a golden sea of fire engulfed it.

A streak of red escape light flew from afar, revealing Wang Qinglong. Wang Qinglong was one of the elders of the Enforcement Hall, cultivating both magic and physical body. Lord Blood Butterfly had harmed Wang family disciples, so Wang Qinglong personally led the hunt for the culprit. He organized a large number of people and offered a huge reward, declaring that anyone assisting Lord Blood Butterfly in hiding would be considered an accomplice. Lord Blood Butterfly sought refuge with close friends, but they, tempted by immense profit, betrayed him. It was then that Wang Qinglong and Wang Liangyan pursued Lord Blood Butterfly, who fled all the way to this place.

Wang Liangyan released a golden spider puppet. The puppet opened its mouth and sprayed a large expanse of fine golden light, which submerged into the golden sea of fire. A pained male shriek then emanated from it.

A blood-red long rainbow flew out from the sea of fire, heading straight for Wang Liangyan. Wang Qinglong stepped forward, his right fist clad in a gauntlet, and met the attack.

"Clang!"

A muffled thud sounded as the blood-red long rainbow flew backward. It was, surprisingly, a blood-red short blade. The blood-red short blade's spiritual light greatly intensified, and it slashed towards Wang Liangyan again. Wang Liangyan conjured a small golden cauldron, which emitted a golden glow, enveloping the blood-red short blade. The blade's spiritual light flared, but it was useless as it was drawn by the golden glow into the small golden cauldron.

A blood-red long rainbow flew out from the sea of fire, covering a hundred miles in an instant. The blood-red long rainbow was a blood-robed youth with ordinary features, his expression panicked and his aura weak. It was Lord Blood Butterfly.

Wang Qinglong took out a glittering golden longbow and drew an arrow to the string. The "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" of arrows whistling sounded as four green arrows shot out, transforming into four green long rainbows and pursuing him.

A woman's powerful roar, echoing through heaven and earth, rang out. Wang Liangyan unleashed the Spirit-Quelling Roar again. Lord Blood Butterfly stopped and was overtaken by the four green long rainbows.

Lord Blood Butterfly let out a shriek as his body was pierced by the four green long rainbows. A bloody hole appeared on his forehead, and a miniature Nascent Soul flew out from his body. A glittering golden giant pagoda then descended from the sky and collected the miniature Nascent Soul. The corpse rapidly fell, but before it hit the ground, it was caught by Wang Qinglong. Wang Qinglong severed Lord Blood Butterfly's head, collected the valuables from his body, burned the corpse, and then left the area with Wang Liangyan.

A year later, Lord Blood Butterfly's head was hung at the entrance of Qinglian Valley. All cultivators entering and exiting Qinglian Valley could see it, a stark warning: this was the fate of anyone who dared to attack and kill Wang family disciples.